WASHINGTON: United States has said that normal relations with North Korea cannot come about unless Pyongyang fully addressed the nuclear issue and Washington will see whether the communist state can be removed from the list of "State Sponsors of Terrorism".
"United States and North Korea have taken the first steps to see if Pyongyang can be removed form the list of the State Sponsors of Terrorism," Christopher Hill, Assistant
Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific, said at a special briefing after his return from Beijing.
"...we're beyond the rhetoric and we're trying to deal with solving a problem. I mean, and that's why I'm in this for, to try to solve a nasty problem and get on to the next
nasty problem.... any effort to normalise our relationship really hits a brick wall over denuclearisation -- that is, we cannot, will not, have a normal relationship with a nuclear
North Korea, but that if they fulfill their promise to give up these programmes, that a lot of things, indeed, become very possible," Hill said.
"This doesn't mean that we end our problems with the DPRK. We will continue to have issues. We have human rights concerns in DPRK. I mean, there's certain standards,
international standards. We don't think DPRK is quite up to those," Hill said.
"There will be other continuing issues. But unless we can solve this nuclear issue, I don't think we can even get to those. So this nuclear issue is an enormous impediment right
now, and we're trying to resolve it," he added.
Asked if the leadership in North Korea has decided to give up its nukes, Hill replied "You have to ask them... the only insight I can give is that, as we're sitting down, we're
discussing very much the issues at hand. And I think that's a good sign that we can make progress on denuclearisation."
"......it would be in 2008 we would really want to wrap this up. I hope it wouldn't take 12 months. This problem has been around a long time, and it's not easy to resolve. But
I just feel it' s very important to see it as a problem that -- and like most Americans, I like to think of problems as ones you can solve. Otherwise, I don't think I'd be in this
game," Hill said.
Hill maintained that the discussion on removing North Korea from the list of state sponsors of terror actually took place at the first working group meeting in New York.
"...we discussed some of the reasons they're on the list in the first place, and they discussed those issues. And I would look forward to having further discussions on that. At this point, I can't tell you how far along we will be on the question that I think they have, which is: When will they get off the list? But I think we're discussing -- we're prepared to continue that discussion," Hill said, adding the time frame is a matter of negotiation.
